Spicy Kale and Chipotle Chickpea and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Chipotle roasted chickpeas and butternut squash salad over a bed of massaged kale and topped with a handful of pumpkin seeds. Enjoy warm or cold

Hey! full disclosure – I got sent a free monthly spice kit from Raw Spice Bar. All opinions are still mine and I promise I only talk about things here that I genuinely like!

Ok first things first: do you like spicy food?

If the answer to that question is yes then you’re in the right place. If no – then this butternut squash salad might not be for you. Sorry mom! You should try my apple & halloumi kale salad instead. Spice level = 0 Delicious level = 100.

Was that too cheesy? Once again – sorry!

Back to the salad

A couple of weeks ago I was sent a quarterly spice kit from RawSpiceBar – they’re like Birch Box but for the adventurous home cook. This months flavours were: Sun Dried Tomato Pizza, Dark Coffee & Chillies, and Chipotle Smoked Sea Salt.

So. Good.

Spicy Chickpea & Butternut Squash Salad

Since I was already playing around with a chipotle filled recipe at the time using the chipotle smoked sea salt was a no brainer. In this recipe I used it in the chipotle sauce and with the kale. It adds another layer of that smokey chipotle flavor works well to offset the sweetness of butternut squash. If you don’t have chipotle salt on hand – no worries! Use whatever sea salt you have on hand you’ll be good to go.

If you don’t really consider yourself to be a squash person then you’re in good company. Beyond carving pumpkins and roasting their contents I’ve never been too bothered myself. I didn’t dislike squash so much as I just didn’t care about them which meant that I used to always pass them up at the grocery store. Determined to come up with a recipe for squash that I really loved I finally landed on this recipe. I’m happy to report that this butternut squash salad did the trick for me.

If you’ve never worked with butternut squash before, peeling and chopping can be tricky, so here’s a quick technique video that might make it easier for you. Once you get everything diced it’s just a matter of mixing the squash and chickpeas in your spicy chipotle sauce and roasting them in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until tender.

This salad is great warm, but I’ve been enjoying it also as cold leftovers these past few days. Being that kale leaves have a lot more to them than most other salad greens this keeps well without going sad and soggy. With that in mind I might even consider making this ahead of time and serving it at Thanksgiving dinner this year. <–By the way, how is it possible that I’m already thinking about Thanksgiving this year? It feels like it was last month!

Don’t forget to #asaucykitchen on instagram if you try making your own spicy chickpea and butternut squash salad. We love to see what you make with it! You can also post your pictures to our facebook page!

Yield: 4 servings

Spicy Kale and Chipotle Chickpea and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Chipotle roasted chickpeas and butternut squash salad over a bed of massaged kale and topped with a handful of pumpkin seeds. Enjoy warm or cold

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time40 minutes

Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients

Salad

1 very large bunch of kale, ribs removed and chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

pinch of chipotle smoked sea salt or regular sea salt

1 can chickpeas, 400 grams, rinsed and drained

1 medium butternut squash, about 2 pounds, sliced into ¾-inch cubes

1/4 cup pepitas, pumpkin seeds without the shell

Chipotle Sauce

1 tablespoon chipotle paste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic or 1 teaspoon crushed

1 teaspoon Raw Spice Bar Chipotle Smoked Sea Salt or regular sea salt

1 pinch red chili pepper flakes

1 tablespoon lime juice, about half a lime

Instructions

Chipotle Sauce

To make the dressing add all of the ingredients to a small bowl or jar and whisk until combined.

Chickpeas & Squash

Preheat oven to 420°F/ 215°C.

Add the diced butternut squash and chickpeas to a medium sized bowl and pour the chipotle sauce over the top. Use a spoon to mix it all together until everything is evenly coated. Spread the squash chickpeas in a single layer out on a large baking sheet and place in the oven to roast for 35-40 minutes or until the squash is tender and caramelize on the outside. Halfway through roasting take turn the tray around in the oven and give everything a quick stir.

When the squash and chickpeas are almost done in the oven get the kale ready. Place the chopped kale in a big salad bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle a small pinch of the sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time. This should take about 30 seconds before the leaves grow darker in color and fragrant.

After you have removed the squash and chickpeas from the oven, let cool for about 5 minutes before adding to the kale. Top with the pepitas and toss everything to combine and enjoy.

Notes

This can be eaten hot or cold - keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

I made this salad tonight and it was a total hit with my family! Since I live in AZ, I choose to cook the squash and chickpeas on a pan on the grill, worked out wonderfully. I was able to keep my kitchen cool since I didn’t have to turn on the oven! Thank you for sharing!

I had high hopes, but this recipe was a disappointment. The squash mixture was delicious, but the kale was lacking. I tried to doctor it up by squirting some lime juice on it, but it just didn’t do it for me or any of my guests.

Is the squash skin edible if it isn’t peeled? I did peel it, but it was tricky! I loved this dish. I didn’t have any kale, but I substituted frozen chopped spinach -thawed and squeezed dry. I put it in the oven with the rest about 10 minutes before the end. I thought leftovers would be great warmed up in a pita.

I made this again, and used sweet potato instead. I also still didn’t have kale, but I did have fresh spinach and used it. I made this for my vegetarian friend and she liked it too. It will definitely be a regular in my diet. I especially love the crunch of the garbanzos and pepitas. Just the right amount of heat alsoThanks for this great recipe.

This sounds delicious, and I seriously want to make this for my (very) health-conscious family members for Thanksgiving! I love the concept of the salad, but my family members don’t like spicy (I personally can’t live without spicy!) Any suggestions for an alternative dressing/sauce that would pair well with this? I will be eating it spicy on my own!

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